dEvault

I recently stumbled upon an inspirational quote that goes something like this, “Not having enough time, isn’t the problem. We all have exactly 24 hours in a day. The problem is simply a lack of direction.”

Initially, upon reading this, I’d have sworn that I definitively disagreed; I was, in fact, rather offended and more than a little put-off. (Which now, in hindsight, I find especially interesting and relatively amusing, seeing as how the quote hadn’t been specifically directed at, nor intended for, me, personally -per se’.) And yet, since then, I’ve found myself struggling with this ‘message’; it has continued to ruthlessly pervade my conscious thoughts (and perhaps my subconscious thoughts, as well). …Until, apparently, I’ve now finally reached a point at where I’ve given the words their due recognition, consideration, speculation, and credence, and am able to admit that it just might be true, after all. *sigh*

Needless to say, I’m not altogether content with the somewhat accusational implications of this particular reflection/revelation, but… I do have to concede that it has forced me to think, challenged me to reevaluate my day-to-day routine (or lack thereof), and provided me with both- valuable insight and motivation. For this, I’m genuinely grateful.

Yesterday, in a disturbing report published on CNET, new documents obtained by EPIC reveal that Obama administration officials have authorized a new government program involving the interception of communications on Internet service providers, including AT&T —one of the key players in the NSA warrantless wiretapping program.Under long-standing federal law, the government needs to use legal process to compel service providers to hand over customer communications, yet reportedly, the government is promising these companies they will not to prosecute them for violating US wiretapping laws if they hand over the information voluntarily. And the secret surveillance authorization seems quite broad, touching on huge swaths of private, domestic activity:The secret legal authorization from the Justice Department originally applied to a cybersecurity pilot project in which the military monitored defense contractors’ Internet links. Since then, however, the program has been expanded by President Obama to cover all critical infrastructure sectors including energy, healthcare, and finance starting June 12.CNET reported also that the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Defense were “deeply involved in press for the secret legal authorization” further underscoring widespread worries that the military may be given access to Americans’ personal information through cybersecurity operations. The report comes as Congress is debating CISPA, a dangerous bill that carves a “cybersecurity” loophole in all our privacy laws.While we are still sifting through the more than thousand pages of documents—obtained by EPIC Privacy through the Freedom of Information Act and posted to their website—the most controversial aspect of this program seems to be that the government has not used legal process to obtain Internet traffic from AT&T and other ISPs involved in the program. Instead, the Justice Department has handed them what the Justice Department calls a “2511 letter”—named after a section of the Wiretap Act—which purports to immunize them from prosecution.Section 2511 makes it a crime to wiretap—intercept electronic communications—with some exceptions, like a properly issued warranted. It provides no exception for a letter from the Justice Department. CNET reported an industry representative told them “the 2511 letters provided legal immunity to the providers by agreeing not to prosecute for criminal violations of the Wiretap Act. It’s not clear how many 2511 letters were issued by the Justice Department.”Beyond what CNET reported, we still need to analyze these new documents to determine how pervasive this surveillance is and its impact on the American public. We are currently reading them over and will have a more detailed analysis soon.

Wow…
A truly impressive display of both- the potential Power of the Mind and the Law of Attraction:
Only a couple of hours ago, I’d voiced my concerns (publicly, via various social networking sites) on our desperate need for rain, and apparently the gods not only heard my pleas, but also saw fit to provide! Thunder rolled non-stop for close to an hour, and we finally received at least a good half hour’s worth (or longer) of rain. Thanks to Mary, a neighbor of mine, I was even granted the opportunity to capture a handful of beautiful photographs of a full rainbow. (I’ll be adding those to this post at a later date.)
All in all, …it was a genuinely amazing experience; I’m awestruck.
“Thank you, gods!”

[Jared:]
Time to escape the clutches of a name,
No, this is not a game;
It’s just a new beginning.

I don’t believe in fate,
But the bottom line: It’s time to pay;
You know you’ve got it coming.

[Fans:]
THIS… IS… WAR…

No matter how many times that you told me
You wanted to leave
No matter how many breaths that you took
You still couldn’t breathe
No matter how many nights that you’d lie wide awake to the sound of the poison rain
Where did you go?
Where did you go?
Where did you go?
As days go by
The night’s on fire
Tell me would you kill to save a life?
Tell me would you kill to prove you’re right?
Crash Crash Burn… Let it all burn
This hurricane’s chasing us all underground

[woman speaking foreign language]

CHAPTER 2 – LIFE

No matter how many deaths that I die
I will never forget
No matter how many lives that I live
I will never regret
There is a fire inside of this heart and a riot about to explode into flames
Where is your God?
Where is your God?
Where is your God?

(There is a fire inside of this heart… and a riot… about to explode into flames.)

Do you really want..
Do you really want me?
Do you really want me dead
Or alive to torture for my sins?
Do you really want..
Do you really want me?
Do you really want me dead
Or alive to live a lie?
Tell me would you kill to save a life?
Tell me would you kill to prove you’re right?
Crash Crash Burn… Let it all burn
This hurricane’s chasing us all underground

[woman speaking foreign language]

{rhythmic drumming}
(“These violent delights have violent ends. And in their triumph die, like fire and powder …which as they kiss, they consume.”)[-Shakespeare Quote, from Romeo and Juliet]

[man speaking foreign language]

CHAPTER 3 – DEATH

The promises we made were not enough
The prayers that we had prayed were like a drug
The secrets that we sold were never known
The love we had.. The love we had.. We had to let it go…
Tell me would you kill to save a life?
Tell me would you kill to prove you’re right?
Crash Crash Burn… Let it all burn
This hurricane’s chasing us all underground
Ohhh-Woahh-Ohh… This hurricane
Ohhh-Woahh-Ohh… This hurricane
Ohhh-Woahh-Ohh… This hurricane
Ohhh-Woahh-Ohhhhh…
Do you really want..
Do you really want me?
Do you really want me dead
Or alive to torture for my sins?
Do you really want..
Do you really want me?
Do you really want me dead
Or alive to live a lie?

(“Deep into that darkness… peering, long I stood there -wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.”)[-Quote from “The Raven”, by Edgar Allan Poe]

A mother. What she does is extraordinary, a nature of which us children do not understand. She puts the roof over your head, feeds you, buys things and toys for you, cleans up after you, keeps you safe. And most of all, she is over-protective. I know sometimes that it can be annoying when she is, but if you truly understood her ways, you would know her reasoning behind it.

She is there to support you, like a shoulder to cry on, when you need her most. She is someone you can…”

Continue Reading Here, at PrincessDarkGril on deviantArt »

*Note to My Daughter:

Thank you SOo very much, Sweetheart… Your words brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face; you may never truly know just how much they –how much YOU— mean to me!